Pumpkin Bars

I have been in a huge fall kick this year. Maybe it was our trip to Boston and seeing the changing of the leaves. Maybe it's the fact that fall means Thanksgiving. Maybe pregnancy just has me more in tuned with nature. Either way, I am loving all things fall this year and I am especially loving all things pumpkin. I was never a fan of pumpkins before, but I find myself longing for pie pumpkins so I can make some homemade pumpkin puree. I made these Pumpkin "Bars" (mine came out more like a pumpkin cake) with the first batch of pumpkin puree I made and they were a huge hit. As soon as I bit into a slice of this, I felt like fall was taking over my body and I felt happy, warm, cozy, and cinnamony. I highly recommend you try these, even if you only have enough for a quarter of this recipe.

Pumpkin Bars
Source: Paula Deen

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the bars: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.